Antidepressants in Pregnancy

Children whose mothers take antidepressants in early pregnancy are at no greater risk of developing autism or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than other children, despite previous research suggesting a linkage, finds a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association . Researchers looked at data from more than 1.5 million children born in Sweden from 1996 to 2012. After controlling for other risk factors, such as parental age and education, the researchers found no increased risk for autism of ADHD among children whose mothers used antidepressants in the first trimester of pregnancy. They did, however, find that those children were about 1.3 times more likely to be born prematurely. (Monitor on Psychology)

Generally, these antidepressants are an option during pregnancy:
•Certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs are generally considered an option during pregnancy, including citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft).
•Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). SNRIs are also considered an option during pregnancy, including duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor XR).
•Bupropion (Wellbutrin). This medication is used for both depression and smoking cessation. Although bupropion isn’t generally considered a first line treatment for depression during pregnancy, it might be an option for women who haven’t responded to other medications or those who want to use it for smoking cessation as well.
•Tricyclic antidepressants. This class of medications includes amitriptyline and nortriptyline (Pamelor). Although tricyclic antidepressants aren’t generally considered a first line or second line treatment, they might be an option for women who haven’t responded to other medications.